In an effort to make all roads motorable in Yagba Federal Constituency, Hon. Leke Joseph Abejide, a member of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on Customs and Excise, has announced that they are exploring the option of tax credits for Mangal Cement Company, given its success elsewhere.
Addressing the Yagba Action Group (YAG), led by renowned media practitioner, former presidential aide, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors (FANA), and Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja, Tunde Olusunle, Hon. Abejide discussed his plans.
Hon. Abejide noted that in the 2022 budget—prior to the election—he allocated about 1 billion naira for road repairs from Ilu-Hagba. He mentioned that although progress was being made bit by bit, they are now considering alternative solutions with the arrival of Senator Sunday Karimi.
He stated, “We are exploring the option of tax credits for Mangal Cement Company, as this approach has been successful elsewhere. We are encouraging them to mine our mineral resources and establish factories, so it is reasonable to ask them to contribute to fixing our roads through a tax holiday.”
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“I know the Managing Director of Mangal Cement Industries, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal; he is my professional colleague from our time in Kano. I told him, ‘You cannot just come to our area, take our resources, and leave the place to decay.’ If this happens, I foresee a day when our youths might block the road and demand that production stops.”
He added, “Unlike the situation with Dangote Group in Obajana, where community awareness was lower, we will not allow a similar situation in Ilu-Hagba. We expect better treatment here.”
Hon. Abejide also discussed ongoing road projects, stating, “I have been patching the road from Omuo-Oke-Ekiti to Igbagun. We are now working in Ponyan. Considering the many farms along this route, I plan to construct the road from Igbagun to Ijowa with asphalt. I have included this in the amended budget, which allocates 5.25 billion naira for this purpose.”
He concluded, “The second phase involves the road from Egbe to Okunran-Okoloke-Isanlu-Esa. I will collaborate with Senator Karimi on this. Having a Senator from Yagba in the 10th National Assembly will make my work easier compared to my first term. Additionally, there is another phase from Jege, Ogbom, Ogga to Omi, which will be addressed soon in Igbaruku-Okeri.”